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'Croc flew over my shoulder': Aussie couple's swim ruined by reptile's visit

An Australian man has been slammed on social media for "abandoning" his girlfriend in a Zimbabwe pool when a crocodile appeared.

Brendan Fowler and his girlfriend Amilia Roberts were enjoying a romantic holiday swim when it nearly ended in disaster for a young couple.

In video posted to YouTube on Saturday, the six-foot reptile launches itself into the water, as the unsuspecting couple frantically thrashed around in attempt to escape.

The man wasn't sticking around to check out the reptile, while the woman frantically searched for stairs to escape the pool. Photo: ViralHog
The man wasn't sticking around to check out the reptile, while the woman frantically searched for stairs to escape the pool. Photo: ViralHog

Perhaps the only thing quicker than the crocodile’s lunge into the pool was Mr Fowler’s frenzied effort to get out, leaving his partner to fight off the crocodile alone.

As Ms Roberts hysterically backed towards the stairs, the croc approached with caution before snapping at her leg.

Mr Fowler told The Sun he did not abandon his girlfriend, just that his "instincts set in".

"The croc pretty much flew over my shoulder and I saw it before it got into the pool," he said.

"From my angle it looked as if it was going to come at my face, so I turned and got out the way."

While the snappy reptile bit Ms Roberts twice, she left the pool relatively unscathed with cuts to her elbow, shoulder and back.

One social media user came in to bat for the swimmer-turned-runner, saying: “You can never say what you would do in that situation unless you've been in that situation. Your survival instincts kick in and it's fight or flight."

The six foot crocodile launched at the terrified woman but she escaped relatively unscathed. Photo: ViralHog
The six foot crocodile launched at the terrified woman but she escaped relatively unscathed. Photo: ViralHog

But others were not so kind with the CCTV footage dividing YouTube viewers as to whether Mr Fowler returned to save his girlfriend, or if he simply hit the road.

“Notice how the girl walks away from her 'hero' as he walks towards her after she gets out of the pool? I have a feeling this particular romance is a thing of the past," one commenter said.

Others pointed out that it would have been impossible for him to cover such a great distance in such a short time.

"Look at the shorts and where he comes from. He couldn't have gotten around the pool that fast," another YouTube user said.

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